Foldaway sawhorse

ABSTRACT

A sawhorse with an inverted U-shaped work support beam with two pairs of legs pivotally connected thereto to fold between the sides of the support beam. The legs can swing outwardly from the collapsed or folded position to an extended position and be angularly displaced away from each other by a spreader bar between each pair of legs. Angular displacement of the legs urges them into firm engagement with stops which lock the legs to the beam to provide a rigid support structure.

United States Patent [72] Inventor John Kehrig 28151 Hall, Mt. Clemens,Mich. 48043 [21] Appl. No. 2,811 [22] Filed Jan. 14, 1970 [45] PatentedNov. 2, 1971 [54] FOLDAWAY SAWHORSE 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 182/155 [51] Int. Cl E04g 1/32,

F16m 11/00 [50] Field of Search 182/155 [56] References Cited UNlTEDSTATES PATENTS 1,479,209 1/1 92f1 flfopp 182/155 1,778,566 10/1930Pitner 182/155 2,396,737 3/1946 Maclaskey.... 182/155 2,824,771 2/1958Blenski 182/155 Primary Examiner- Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney-Barnes,Kisselle, Raisch & ChoaIte ABSTRACT: A sawhorse with an invertedU-shaped work support beam with two pairs of legs pivotally connectedthereto to fold between the sides of the support beam. The legs canswing outwardly from the collapsed or folded position to an extendedposition and be angularly displaced away from each other by a spreaderbar between each. pair of legs. Angular displacement of the legs urgesthem into firm engagement with stops which look the legs to the beam toprovide a rigid support structure.

FOLDAWAY SAWHIORSE This invention relates to sawhorses used bycarpenters and the like and more particularly to a collapsible orfoldaway sawhorse.

Objects of this invention are to provide a foldaway sawhorse which (a)is of economical construction and assembly, (b) is easily set up andfolded away, (c) compensates for uneven floors or surfaces to provide astable work support, and (d) folds into a compact self-contained packageto facilitate carrying and storage.

These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention willbe apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foldaway sawhorse constructed inaccordance with this invention illustrated in the setup or extendedposition. FIGS. 2 and 3 are end and side views respectively of thesawhorse in folded position with the legs illustrated in phantom in theextended position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 1illustrating the structural details for limiting the angular movement ofa pair of legs away from each other.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view partially in sectionillustrating a spreader bar in operative position between a pair oflegs.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on line 6--6 of FIG. 4 illustrating theengagement of a leg behind a stop as it is moved from the folded to theextended position.

FIG. 1 illustrates a foldaway sawhorse 10 having a work support beam 12to which are attached two pairs of legs 14. When sawhorse 10 is set up,legs 14 of each pair are angularly displaced in a plane transverse tothe beam by a spreader bar 16. Support beam 12 has a generally U-shapedcross section with a top plate 18 and depending sidewalls 20. Legs 14and spreader bar 16 have a generally U-shaped cross section with legs 14having sidewalls 22 and a base flange 23 and spreader bars 16 havingsidewalls 24 and a base flange 25. Longitudinally extending flutes 26 inbase flanges 23 and 25 increase the stiffness and rigidity of the legsand spreader bars.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, legs 14 of each pair are pivotally connectedwithin support beam 12 by pins 28 engaging sidewalls 20 and extendingthrough holes 30 in the upper end of legs 14. Holes 30 are slightlyelongated in the longitudinal direction of legs 14 so that the legs willnot bind on pin 28 when they are displaced angularly outward by spreaderbar 26. Preferably, when sawhorse 10 is in use, no load is transmittedthrough pins 28 to legs 14. This is achieved by dimensioning andpositioning elongate holes 30 so that when the upper end of each leg 14bears against the underside of top plate 18 of beam 12 there is a slightclearance 31 between each leg and pins 28. To provide the necessaryclearance for each leg 14 to swing from the folded position shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 to the extended position shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, corner 32adjacent hole 30 is rounded (FIG. 6).

The angular displacement of legs 14 of each pair away from each other islimited by tabs 34 and sidewall portions 36. Tabs 34 and sidewallportions 36 bear on opposite sides of each leg 14 to provide stopslimiting its angular movement. lnwardly struck and downwardly extendingtabs 34 are integral with top plate 18 and outwardly inclined wallportions 36 are integral with sidewalls 21]. When legs 14 are movedangularly outward, they are received by openings or sockets 37 (FIG. 3)in sidewalls 20 which are defined by outwardly extending integralflanges 38. To restrain legs 14 from moving laterally or pivoting aboutpins 28, flanges 38 have a close fit with and provide stops bearing onsidewalls 22 of the legs. So that legs 14 can be readily aligned withthe openings 37 and cammed outwardly into engagement with flanges 38 theflanges are connected with sidewalls 20 by a rounded corner portion 40(FIG. 1) and the sidewalls 22 of legs 14 are connected to the flutedbase flange 23 by a rounded comer portion 42 (FIG. 2). To assure thatlegs 14 are firmly held between flanges 38 preferably there is a slightinterference fit between the legs and flanges.

As shown in FIG. 5, each spreader bar 16 is pivotally connected at oneend by a pin 44 to one leg 14 of each pair and is adapted to bereleasably latched in a horizontal position to the other leg by anintegral tongue 46 at the free end of each spreader bar which engagesover and behind a transverse pin 48 extending between and fixed tosidewalls 22 of the other leg. When sawhorse 10 is in use, spreader bar16 also prevents the legs 14 of each pair from being forced furtherangularly outward by a load carried by support beam 12.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each pair of legs when folded is retained ina nested position within support beam 12 by a detent 50 in each sidewall20 adjacent each leg receiving opening or socket 37 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Thelegs of each pair are locked together so that a single detent 50 willretain both legs of the pair. As shown in FIG. 2, each pair of legs isreleasably locked together by spreader bar 16 folding within one leg 14with its sidewalls 24 extending between sidewalls 22 of the other leg 14of the pair.

In setting up sawhorse 10, each pair of legs is pivoted outwardly ofbeam 12 about pin 28 past detent 50 from the folded position shown inFIGS. 2 and 3. Each leg 14 is then swung or rocked about pivot pin 28and moved axially outward thereon as shown in phantom in FIG. 6 untilthe leg extends downwardly with its upper end behind tab or stop 34 andis generally aligned with its associated socket 37 in sidewall 20 ofbeam 12. After both the legs of each pair are generally aligned withtheir sockets (as shown in phantom in FIG. 3) spreader bar 16 is pivotedabout one leg and latched into engagement with the other leg to forceboth legs to be angularly displaced outwardly away from each other. Thisangular displacement urges the legs into firm engagement with tabs orstops 34, inclined wall portions 36, and flanges 38 which locks orsecures the legs to support beam 12 to provide a very sturdy sawhorse.

Sawhorse 10 is collapsed or folded away by following the setup steps inreverse order. Each spreader bar 16 is disengaged from one leg of thepair and pivoted upwardly and nested into the other leg 14 of the pair.Legs 14 of each pair are angularly displaced toward each other todisengage them from their sockets and swung about pin 28 to disengagetheir upper ends from tabs 34. The legs of each pair are moved intoabutting relation with the sidewalls of the spreader bar extendingbetween both legs to lock them together and then pivoted about pin .28into the folded position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 where they arerestrained by detents 50.

This foldaway sawhorse can be constructed from a few sheet metalchannel-shaped members and a few pivot pins and thus is of economicalconstruction and assembly. If support beam 12 is formed of sheet metalor some similar slightly resilient material, the sawhorse willautomatically compensate for uneven floors or surfaces by allowing thepairs of legs to twist or move about a longitudinal axis with respect toeach other. This twisting or placing the support beam under slight axialtorsion allows each leg to rest firmly on the uneven surface therebyproviding a stable work support. The arrangement of the legs andspreader bars so that they all fold within the support beam provides acompact self-contained package which both facilitates carrying andstorage and provides a sawhorse which can be readily set up and foldedaway.

Iclaim:

1. A foldaway sawhorse comprising a longitudinally extending metalsupport beam of generally inverted U-shape in cross section, saidsupport beam having a base and an integral pair of laterally spacedlongitudinally extending depending sidewalls, two pairs of legs witheach leg having opposed generally flat sidewalls and a base portiontherebetween, pivotal means connecting one corner of each leg to saidsupport beam with one pair of legs adjacent each end of said sup portbeam for pivotal movement of each pair of legs from a first positionwherein the legs lie generally within the support beam and extendlongitudinally thereof to a second position wherein each pair of legsdepends from and extends generally transversely to the support beam,said pivotal means being connected to the base portion of each of saidlegs closely adjacent one end thereof and adjacent one sidewall of eachof said legs between said one sidewall of said legs and the longitudinalcenter line of the base portions of said legs and providing a pivotpoint for said legs adjacent said base of said support beam between saidbase and the longitudinal center line of said depending sidewalls ofsaid support beam, two pairs of leg-receiving sockets on said sidewallsof said support beam with one pair of sockets adjacent each end of saidsupport beam and adjacent the pivotal connection between said legs andsaid support beam, said sockets of each pair being opposed to oneanother and opening laterally inwardly of the support beam, each saidsocket having a pair of opposed sheet metal flanges extending generallytransversely outwardly from and integral with said sidewalls of saidbeam and having a sheet metal bearing surface extending between andintegral with said flanges, each said bearing surface being spaced fromthe pivot point of its associated leg, each said flange extending acrossthe width of its associated depending sidewall of said support beam fromsaid pivotal connection to the free edge of said depending sidewall withsaid flanges of each pair being spaced apart to frictionally engage andsnugly receive generally opposed portions of the spaced sidewalls of oneof said legs adjacent said one end of said legs, each of said bearingsurfaces being adapted to bear on a base portion of one of said legsbelow said pivotal connection of said one end of said legs to saidsupport beam, said pivotal connections permitting the legs in each pairto be displaced angularly outwardly from each other at said pivotalconnection into generally V-shape for reception in said sockets in firmengagement with said flanges and said bearing surface, and means forlimiting the extent to which said pivotally connected ends of the legsof each pair can shift toward one another.

2. A foldaway sawhorse comprising a longitudinally extending sheet metalsupport beam of generally inverted U shape in cross section, saidsupport beam having a base and an integral pair of laterally spaceddepending sidewalls, said support beam having two pairs of legspivotally connected thereto with one pair adjacent each end of saidsupport beam, said legs having opposed generally flat sidewalls, eachpair of legs being adapted to be pivoted from a first position whereinthe legs lie generally within the support beam and extend longitudinallythereof to a second position wherein each pair of legs extendstransversely of the support beam, each sidewall of the support beamhaving leg-receiving sockets adjacent the pivotal connections betweenthe legs and the support beam, the sockets at each end being opposed toone another and opening laterally inwardly of the support beam, each ofsaid sockets having a pair of opposed sheet metal flanges extendinggenerally transversely outwardly from and integral with said sidewalls,the flanges of each said pair being spaced apart to frictionally engageand snugly receive generally opposed portions of the opposed sidewallsof one of said legs, and said pivotal connections permitting the legs ineach pair to be displaced angularly outward from each other at saidpivotal connections into generally V-shape for reception in said socketsin firm engagement with said flanges.

3, The foldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which means pivotally connect thebase portion of each of said legs to said support beam in an uppercorner of each of said legs adjacent the one end of each of said legsreceived in said sockets and adjacent one sidewall of each of said legsbetween said one sidewall of said legs and the longitudinal centerlineof the base portion of said legs with said pivot means providing a pivotpoint for each of said legs adjacent said base of said support beambetween said base and the longitudinal centerline of said dependingsidewalls of said support beam, and each of said flanges extends acrossthe width of the depending sidewall of said support beam from saidpivotal connection to the free edge of said depending sidewall.

4. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 3 which also comprises means forlimiting the extent to which the pivotally supported ends of the llegsof each pair can shift toward one another and a bearing su aceassociated with each of said sockets and integral with the flanges ofsaid sockets which is adapted to bear on a portion of the outer side ofeach leg associated with each socket at a position spaced from thepivotal connection of each associated leg to said beam when the legs ofeach said pair are angularly displaced into firm engagement with theflanges of their associated sockets.

5. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 4 in which said last-mentioned meanscomprises inwardly struck depending sheet metal tabs integral with saidbase of said support beam.

6. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which said transverse flanges areconnected with said sidewalls of said support beam by integral curvedcomer portions and in which each of said legs has integral curved cornerportions connected with and adjacent one edge of said opposed sidewallsof said legs adapted to engage said flanges, whereby when the legs ofeach pair are displaced angularly outwardly said curved comer portionsengage to cam the legs into firm frictional engagement with the opposedflanges of said support beam.

7. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 6 in which each said pair of flangesof said sockets and their associated opposed sidewalls of said legs areintentionally dimensioned in relation to each other to provide a slightinterference fit.

8. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which each of said legs ismetallic with a generally U-shaped cross section with a base andlaterally spaced sidewalls and which also comprises a spreader barpivotally connected to one leg of each pair and adapted to be receivedin a first position between the sidewalls of the leg and to swing to asecond generally horizontally extending position to releasably engagethe other leg of its associated pair of legs when the legs are angularlydisplaced and received in their associated sockets, said bar havingsidewalls extending beyond the sidewalls of the leg to which it ispivotally connected when said bar is in said first position to bereceived between the sidewalls of the other leg of the pair when thesidewalls of the legs are in edge abutting relationship to limit pivotalmovement of the legs of the pair with respect to each other, and meansfor releasably retaining only one leg of each pair when the legs arepivoted to said first position wherein the legs lie generally within thesupport beam and extend longitudinally thereof, whereby all of said legsare releasably retained in said support beam by the cooperation of saidretaining means and said bars.

1. A foldaway sawhorse comprising a longitudinally extending metalsupport beam of generally inverted U-shape in cross section, saidsupport beam having a base and an integral pair of laterally spacedlongitudinally extending depending sidewalls, two pairs of legs witheach leg having opposed generally flat sidewalls and a base portiontherebetween, pivotal means connecting one corner of each leg to saidsupport beam with one pair of legs adjacent each end of said supportbeam for pivotal movement of each pair of legs from a first positionwherein the legs lie generally within the support beam and extendlongitudinally thereof to a second position wherein each pair of legsdepends from and extends generally transversely to the support beam,said pivotal means being connected to the base portion of each of saidlegs closely adjacent one end thereof and adjacent one sidewall of eachof said legs between said one sidewall of said legs and the longitudinalcenter line of the base portions of said legs and providing a pivotpoint for said legs adjacent said base of said support beam between saidbase and the longitudinal center line of said depending sidewalls ofsaid support beam, two pairs of leg-receiving sockets on said sidewallsof said support beam with one pair of sockets adjacent each end of saidsupport beam and adjacent the pivotal connection between said legs andsaid support beam, said sockets of each pair being opposed to oneanother and opening laterally inwardly of the support beam, each saidsocket having a pair of opposed sheet metal flanges extending generallytransversely outwardly from and integral with said sidewalls of saidbeam and having a sheet metal bearing surface extending between andintegral with said flanges, each said bearing surface being spaced fromthe pivot point of its associated leg, each said flange extending acrossthe width of its associated depending sidewall of said support beam fromsaid pivotal connection to the free edge of said depending sidewall withsaid flanges of each pair being spaced apart to frictionally engage andsnugly receive generally opposed portions of the spaced sidewalls of oneof said legs adjacent said one end of said legs, each of said bearingsurfaces being adapted to bear on a base portion of one of said legsbelow said pivotal connection of said one end of said legs to saidsupport beam, said pivotal connections permitting the legs in each pairto be displaced angularly outwardly from each other at said pivotalconnection into generally V-shape for reception in said sockets in firmengagement with said flanges and said bearing surface, and means forlimiting the extent to which said pivotally connected ends of the legsof each pair can shift toward one another.
 2. A foldaway sawhorsecomprising a longitudinally extending sheet metal support beam ofgenerally inverted U shape in cross section, said support beam having abase and an integral pair of laterally spaced depending sidewalls, saidsupport beam having two pairs of legs pivotally connected thereto withone pair adjacent each end of said support beam, said legs havingopposed generally flat sidewalls, each pair of legs being adapted to bepivoted from a first position wherein the legs lie generally within thesupport beam and extend longitudinally thereof to a second positionwherein each pair of legs extends transversely of the support beam, eachsidewall of the support beam having leg-receiving sockets aDjacent thepivotal connections between the legs and the support beam, the socketsat each end being opposed to one another and opening laterally inwardlyof the support beam, each of said sockets having a pair of opposed sheetmetal flanges extending generally transversely outwardly from andintegral with said sidewalls, the flanges of each said pair being spacedapart to frictionally engage and snugly receive generally opposedportions of the opposed sidewalls of one of said legs, and said pivotalconnections permitting the legs in each pair to be displaced angularlyoutward from each other at said pivotal connections into generallyV-shape for reception in said sockets in firm engagement with saidflanges.
 3. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which means pivotallyconnect the base portion of each of said legs to said support beam in anupper corner of each of said legs adjacent the one end of each of saidlegs received in said sockets and adjacent one sidewall of each of saidlegs between said one sidewall of said legs and the longitudinalcenterline of the base portion of said legs with said pivot meansproviding a pivot point for each of said legs adjacent said base of saidsupport beam between said base and the longitudinal centerline of saiddepending sidewalls of said support beam, and each of said flangesextends across the width of the depending sidewall of said support beamfrom said pivotal connection to the free edge of said dependingsidewall.
 4. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 3 which also comprises meansfor limiting the extent to which the pivotally supported ends of thelegs of each pair can shift toward one another and a bearing surfaceassociated with each of said sockets and integral with the flanges ofsaid sockets which is adapted to bear on a portion of the outer side ofeach leg associated with each socket at a position spaced from thepivotal connection of each associated leg to said beam when the legs ofeach said pair are angularly displaced into firm engagement with theflanges of their associated sockets.
 5. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 4in which said last-mentioned means comprises inwardly struck dependingsheet metal tabs integral with said base of said support beam.
 6. Thefoldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which said transverse flanges areconnected with said sidewalls of said support beam by integral curvedcorner portions and in which each of said legs has integral curvedcorner portions connected with and adjacent one edge of said opposedsidewalls of said legs adapted to engage said flanges, whereby when thelegs of each pair are displaced angularly outwardly said curved cornerportions engage to cam the legs into firm frictional engagement with theopposed flanges of said support beam.
 7. The foldaway sawhorse of claim6 in which each said pair of flanges of said sockets and theirassociated opposed sidewalls of said legs are intentionally dimensionedin relation to each other to provide a slight interference fit.
 8. Thefoldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which each of said legs is metallic witha generally U-shaped cross section with a base and laterally spacedsidewalls and which also comprises a spreader bar pivotally connected toone leg of each pair and adapted to be received in a first positionbetween the sidewalls of the leg and to swing to a second generallyhorizontally extending position to releasably engage the other leg ofits associated pair of legs when the legs are angularly displaced andreceived in their associated sockets, said bar having sidewallsextending beyond the sidewalls of the leg to which it is pivotallyconnected when said bar is in said first position to be received betweenthe sidewalls of the other leg of the pair when the sidewalls of thelegs are in edge abutting relationship to limit pivotal movement of thelegs of the pair with respect to each other, and means for releasablyretaining only one leg of each pair when the legs are pivoted to saidfirst position wherein the legs lie generallY within the support beamand extend longitudinally thereof, whereby all of said legs arereleasably retained in said support beam by the cooperation of saidretaining means and said bars.